


Cursed Blood, True Souls

by Nikaya



Category: Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Drama, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Mystery, Romance, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 22:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6489205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikaya/pseuds/Nikaya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What was known about the Sohma family was only fantasy. On the night of graduation, everything went wrong. Now, the entire Sohma family is gripped by the curse just when they thought they were free... Since that night, Kyo has been missing, and only one person can convince him to come home, as foretold by Akito's vision. Will the Sohma family be saved? O.C. and Kyo Main Characters; Original Publish: August 2010</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Revealed

Chapter One: Revealed

I was flopped on my bed facedown when my mom walked in.

“Nick?” she asked, pushing the door open. “Rough day?”

I groaned.

“A letter came for you.” I heard the creaking of the bed and felt myself lean to one side but I didn’t look up. “It’s from Japan. Do you know anything about it?”

“No,” I said, my voice muffled by my pillow.

The bed creaked again as she stood up. “I’ll just leave it here. Want me to shut the door?”

“Mhmm,” I hummed into the pillow. I heard the door shut and sat up. I ran my hand over my face and looked over at the nightstand. She letter was sitting on in it, addressed to me, Nicolette Mente.

What made my blue eyes finally snap wide awake was the return address.

_Sohma._

Shaking now, I pushed my waist-length hair out of my face and carefully slid my index finger under the seal. But I was shaking so much that the envelope ripped at a weird angle anyway, and I decided to just tear it open.

I took out the letter and began to read.

When I stopped reading, I had to put it down again. I looked over at my little orange and white kitten sleeping on the windowsill next to my bed.

I looked back at the letter.

_Kiara was a Sohma._

I slid off the bed and pulled out a dusty old box from way in the back. My boxes for moving away to school in the fall blocked the way, and I struggled to pull it out. I blew on it, making the dust fly everywhere and brushed it with my hand. I gingerly opened the box.

After years of neglect, I pulled out the first book in the series.

_Fruits Basket._

My breathing became heavy, and I skimmed through the pages. I slammed the book shut.

_This can’t be happening._

The letter was from Akito, the head of the Sohma family. He was requesting my presence in Japan.

Apparently, Kiara was really the daughter of Yuki and Tohru _Sohma_. Something had happened to Kyo the night of their high school graduation and has been missing ever since. Kiara – being the first of the next generation of Sohma’s – had obtained the curse’s powers in a new form; she couldn’t become human at all.

But I couldn’t imagine why she was given to me. I had gotten her from a rescue about a year ago. I was told they found her on the street in good condition but had no owner or mother.

The only Japanese I really knew was from watching shows and reading manga like this one. Other than that, I learned the numbers and some cultural stuff from my ninjutsu classes a few years ago, but that was it. There were plenty of other people like that….

But Akito was clear: he had a vision of _me._ For some reason, I was the only one that could bring Kyo back.

I smirked. I had always wanted to visit Japan.

The letter contained a ticket and a fake letter for a company non-existent that runs through my new school, offering me a chance at a study abroad program for the summer.

With no job, no camp, and no internship to speak of, I knew it would be easy convincing my mom.

I took a deep breath.

I finally came to terms with it; this was happening. This was real.

And I was going to Japan…

With Kiara Sohma, the cat.

 


	2. Go

** Chapter Two: Go **

“Are you sure you have everything?” My mom asked me as I was called to the gate. Everything was in place, and Kiara was in my duffle bag. I passed my black belt test with flying colors, and I was ready to go.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, rolling my eyes. She was about to add something, but I smirked at her and she got the joke.

“Have a good time, ok? Love you.”

“Love you too.” She kissed me on the head and I pulled away.

“Bye, Mom,” I said with a wave. I walked down the long hallway, onto the plane. Thankfully, Akito decided to pay for first class. I sat down in a huge leather seat with plenty of stretching room. The window seat was mine, and the one to my right was for Kiara.

 I unzipped the duffle bag and pet her behind the ear. She purred and curled up in a little ball.

I smiled down at her. But my expression faded when I thought about what was to come. Would I still be Kiara’s mom? Or would she have to be with Tohru and Yuki? Was there a way to fix this mess and make the books come true?

As the sun set out the window, my eyes grew heavy with thoughts racing through my head….

_..._

_Where am I? Is this... a forest? All I see are trees and bushes...and rain._

_I’m running, feeling a need to find something... someone...._

_Suddenly, something grabs my shoulder and I get thrown onto the cold, muddy floor of the forest. I blink my eyes through the rain and see a creature with glowing red eyes._

_It lunges at me, and I scream._

_…_

I sat straight up and looked around frantically. My breathing was heavy and I wondered what had happened.

I looked around and realized that I’m still on the plane. Then I heard a baby start crying and the snoring behind me stops.

“We’re landing soon. Only another half hour.” the man on the loudspeaker announced.

I look away, out the window. It was dawn, and I watched as the sun’s rays started to peer over the clouds.

_..._

A few minutes later, I landed at the airport. I held Kiara in the duffle bag at my side.

The fact that Tohru and Yuki were married made my stomach turn. That wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. I had thought all along that Tohru and Kyo were meant to be.

I went to the baggage claim and waited for my backpack.

I wondered how old they would be and how they would look in the real world. I wondered how I would find Kyo and get him to come home. I wondered what I would do with Kiara.

I was just about to pull my bag off the belt when someone grabbed it at the same time.

I looked up and saw him standing there.

_Shigure…._

There was no other way of describing it. He was exactly as anyone would picture him as a real person. It was incredible.

“Would you happen to be Miss Nicolette Mente?” he asked me in fluent Japanese. The sudden change in language caught me slightly off-guard. He didn’t sound like his voice actor. I guessed that he would have had his own voice, but it was strange.

I laughed nervously. I had no idea what he was saying. “Umm…. That’s my name, yes. I don’t speak Japanese.” The part that made me more nervous was that I was still in disbelief that this was happening.

 “I’m sorry, allow me to introduce myself.” He smiled gently. “My name is Shigure Sohma. And I believe that you’ll be staying in my home for a while.” He spoke English. Thank God. Then he bowed to me.

“Yes sir,” I said, bowing in response. Akito’s words came to mind: “ _Your training has done you well…._ ” I hadn’t realize how much Japanese culture was worked into my classes.

“And I believe there is one more accompanying you, am I correct?”

“Oh! Yes!” I unzipped my bag and held Kiara. “Kiara, do you remember Shigure?” She looked up at him for a moment and started purring.

Shigure held out his arms, and she jumped into them, rubbing her face into his shoulder. I felt a knot in my stomach and knew my face had changed, but I couldn’t help it.

Shigure smiled at me. “Miss Mente, I would just like you to know that you have been a great mother to my little cousin. She looks beautiful and happy.”

I nodded and smiled back. “She’s my baby.” He was still smiling.

“Shall we be going then?” he asked, handing her back to me. I gently lowered her into my duffle and he shouldered my backpack.

“Uh… yeah, sure. Thank you.” I said, following behind him.

...

Shigure drove a white Porche – to no surprise – and was a careful and considerate driver. He asked me questions casually, but they seemed to hint at whether or not he thought I could bring Kyo back. He asked how old I was and where I came from. He asked about my studies and specifically how well I did and the kind of friends I had back at home. It was innocent yet I knew he was studying me as much as I was studying him.

“Here we are,” Shigure said as we pulled up front. The house was exactly as I pictured it. Smack in the middle of the woods with no neighbors around.

“Just like I imagined.” I stepped out of the car and put down my bag, letting Kiara hop out and wander off into the house. I swung the bag back over my shoulder and walked toward the door. Shigure opened the door and slid his shoes off. I did the same, having a harder time unzipping my riding boots.

“Oh! You’re back so soon!” I heard a high-pitched voice from inside. I looked up and saw Tohru Honda standing before me. Or rather, Tohru _Sohma_ , holding Kiara. “Kiara, hello sweetheart!”

My heart sank at the words. I looked away.

“Hi there!” she then called to me. “You must be Nicolette!” She bowed to me.

“It’s Nick,” I commented, and then I bowed back. “Nice to meet you.” Tohru looked about my age. Her face seemed to sadden, either realizing the conflict we now had or what my job here involved. For the first time, I began to wonder if she blamed herself.

When Kiara looked up at me, she jumped out of Tohru’s arms and came to my feet, rubbing against me.

“It’s so nice to meet you!” Tohru said. She walked up to me and took my hands as she spoke.  “Thank you for taking care of Kiara.” And the look in her eyes told me she meant it.

“She’s my pride and joy,” I said, leaning awkwardly down to pet her. I smiled at Tohru when I realized that’s all she wanted. I started to feel more comfortable and as if she didn’t want to just take Kiara away from me.

“Hello there,” said a soft voice from behind Tohru. I looked past her and my throat tightened. “I’m Yuki Sohma.” He bowed. “And you must be Miss Mente. Welcome,” he said, smiling.

“Hey, I’m Nick,” I said, introducing myself. I bowed again.

“So you’re the one, huh?” he said to me.

I cocked my head to the side. “What?”

“You’ll see,” he said with a sigh. I wanted to ask what he meant, but I figured that Akito had clued them into my job here.

 Kiara went over to his leg and rubbed against him. He picked her up and kissed her head softly.

“Hello, Kiara. I’ve missed you, sweetheart... I love you.” There was an awkward pause as his eyes welled with tears. “Now go run along now. I have to show Mommy to her room.” She jumped down and trotted away.

Yuki held out his hand for my bag, and I offered it to him. He smiled gently. “I want you and Kiara to feel welcome here. This is going to be your home for some time.” He started up the stairs and I trailed behind him.

“Thank you, sir.”

“No need for the formality, sweetheart. It’s just a habit of mine.” He smiled wide with his eyes closed. Typical Yuki charm. “This is Shigure’s room, and this is mine and Tohru’s room,” he commented. He walked in and placed my bag down on the bed of a room across the hall. “And this was...Kyo’s old room,” he said with a sigh. “Nick-san, I’m sure you’ll find this room to your liking.”

“Thank you,” I said. I shifted my feet. “Umm...Yuki...kun?” I said, guessing suffixes. He turned to me. “May I ask you something?”

“Yes, of course,” he said smiling.

“How old are you guys? You and Tohru I mean.”

“Mrs. Sohma-kun is nineteen, and I’m eighteen. We start our second year of university in the fall. We had married and then had Kiara right after high school.”

“Oh...wonderful,” I replied. I hoped it hadn’t come out as being judgmental. I just needed to piece together what had happened.

Yuki chuckled. “I suppose it is very early, but it seemed right and still does,” he said. “I just....” He looked out the window. Then he shook his head. “I’m sorry. Never mind, Miss Mente.”

“No need to worry.” I said. “But hey…. If you want to talk…. I’m here. Not to be weird, but I feel like I know you… from the stories, I mean.”

Yuki was a lot of things, but I knew the one thing he wasn’t was a bad person.

Yuki studied me for a moment and lowered his head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you do know me… not anymore.”

“I think I do.” I encouraged. “I know rats because I’m one too.” He looked up at me. We both knew the dates didn’t exactly match up, but it _was_ just a story afterall.

He smirked. “Maybe I’m wrong then. But I have a lot of regret in my life that you have yet to understand.” He took a deep breath. “Dinner will be ready in an hour. Mrs. Sohma-kun’s cooking is wonderful. And I set up a bed for Kiara as well,” he added pointing to the pillow with blankets over it on the floor.

“Thanks, Sohma-kun.” I replied. Yuki went to the door and was about to close it when he stopped. He turned his head back slightly, looking at the floor.

“Please.... Find him... for all of us. But most importantly, for my Tohru.”

Then he turned and shut the door behind him.


	3. Heartbreak

** Chapter Three:  Heartbreak **

I slowly became aware of the bright light shining on my face. I groaned and threw the blanket over my head.

As I laid there, tucking the blanket in closer to my body, my mind began to wander to the previous night...

I just didn’t understand it all. Why does it have to be me? What does any of this have to do with me?

Or should I say _Akito’s sake?_ I laughed to myself.

I just didn’t know what I was supposed to do. If I was destined to save Kyo, I needed some answers. I needed to know what happened. Why did the curse come back?

I decided I’d get ready and head to the direct source of the problem and the one person that had changed Kyo once before.

I got dressed and got ready in the bathroom before heading downstairs.

When I got into the dining area, everyone was already sitting around the table, eating breakfast.

“Good morning, Nick-san!” Tohru called to me. “Would you like some pancakes? I’ll go make some more for you!” Tohru jumped up and trotted to the kitchen.

I shook my head with a small laugh. “Good morning,” I said with a small wave.

“Good morning,” they all called back to me. I headed into the kitchen.

Tohru was already at the stove, pouring the batter.

“Hey, Tohru?” I asked, sliding the door closed behind me.

“Oh! Nick-san! I don’t need any help. You can go and sit with everyone if you’d like.”

“Actually…” I hesitated. I wasn’t sure how’d she take it. “I came in here to ask you something.” Her eyes widened slightly and she stopped what she was doing.

“Oh... Umm... okay.”

I cleared my throat. “What happened the night the curse came back?”

At this, Tohru dropped the ladle she was using on the floor. It fell with a clang, and I heard some scuffling in the other room.

“Are you alright?” Yuki said, rushing into the room. He shut the door behind himself. “What happened?”

“What _did_ happen?” I asked, feeling my temper rising slightly. Yuki looked from me to Tohru and back to me again. Then, Tohru sighed.

“Okay.... You have a right to know the truth.” At this, Yuki’s eyes widened. He still made no move to come closer to Tohru.

“It happened a year ago now. It was a dark, rainy night, and all of us were here, having our graduation party.”

  * _Flashback: Tohru_



_I was in the bathroom, washing off the stain on my pale pink dress. It was an accident of course, caused by Kyo. He felt really awful about it._

_Everyone was there. Hatori, Hatsuharu, Rin, Uo, Hana, Momiji, Kureno, Kazuma.... Just to name a few. I was so excited to have a good time. The music from the party was so loud, it was no wonder they were having fun._

_I rubbed my dress as hard as I could, scrubbing the stain. Then I heard a knock on the bathroom door. The person didn’t bother to wait and slowly creaked the door open._

_“Miss Honda, is everything alright?” Yuki walked toward me in his black suit and tie. He looked truly amazing tonight._

_“Oh! Yuki! Yes, everything’s fine. I’m just trying to get this stain out....” I continued scrubbing, not looking Yuki in the eye._

_“Oh, I see....” He seemed to ponder something. Then he asked, “Kyo did this, I suppose?”_

_“It’s alright! It’s just a little slip up, is all.” I smiled at him and he responded with a smile as he always did whenever I smiled. “Umm...Yuki?”_

_He picked his head up. “Yes, Miss Honda?”_

_“Why is that whenever I smile at you, you smile back at me, no matter what I say?”_

_Yuki’s eyes widened and then he shook his head. “Well, you see....” Yuki trailed off and then sighed. “Miss Honda, there’s something I need to tell you.”_

_“What is it Yuki?”_

_He looked around nervously before speaking again. “Remember when... I used to like you?” I swallowed hard, though I still nodded. “Well, when I decided that I didn’t anymore, it was because I spoke to a good friend of mine. I admitted to him that I... was only looking for a mother in you. He told me that a lot of guys look for a mother in their girlfriends, and I said that it wasn’t like that. But the thing is, it only wasn’t like that at the time.” He sighed and shook his head. “Machi broke up with me tonight.”_

_I gasped. “Oh, Yuki! I’m so sorry!” I slowly stepped over to him and hugged him. He pulled me close to him, and I could smell his distinct, sweet scent. I loved being able to be closer with him now...all of the Sohmas for that matter._

_“It’s alright. We had an argument about something, and we just couldn’t seem to agree on anything.” He pulled away gently, but he then inched his arms around my waist. I looked up at him, slightly confused. Then he just smiled at me, with the smile that was always certain to reassure me._

_As I always did, I smiled back at him. Whenever I saw that smile, I always felt comfortable, no matter what happened. But why do I feel that way?_

_“Miss Honda?” he asked. His face was suddenly serious, but he was still smiling, only slightly._

_“Yuki?” I asked. Then, without warning...._

_He closed the gap between us._

_Our lips collided smoothly. The way he moved with me, he was in perfect sync with my body. I had never felt like this in a kiss with Kyo before. I felt blown away, so I just followed his lead._

_I never wanted this one, blissful moment to end._

_“Tohru…?”_

_Then, the bathroom door opened, and standing there..._

_Was Kyo._

_He was wearing the suit that I bought him. I’d saved up for it with my work money, and when graduation came, I’d had enough to pay for it. It was all black, and the collar of his white shirt underneath was unbuttoned a bit, hanging over the sides._

_Yuki and I saw him at the same time. Yuki and I pulled our lips away from each other. But the shock of moving away, lingered on my lips for a second, and I looked back to Yuki, utterly speechless._

_Then, I looked to Kyo and realized what had just happened._

_Hurt... betrayal... shock..._ devastation _._

_I never thought I’d be able to see so many horrible feelings in one person’s face all at once._

_“I...” I tried to speak, but I couldn’t say a word. What would I say even if I could?_

_“Kyo, this isn’t her fault,” Yuki said, stepping forward. My eyes widened, as did Kyo’s as he backed away. Both of us were speechless as Yuki spoke. “I was the one who came up here to see what she was doing. I told her the truth about how I felt awhile ago.” He clasped his eyes shut and clenched his fists. “Tell him, Miss Honda! You can’t have both!” I was thrown aback by Yuki’s pain. My chest ached. Then I looked to Kyo and saw the hurt...._

_But I didn’t feel it anymore._

_“Kyo...” I whispered as softly as I could. I walked over to him a few steps and put my hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and put his hand over mine. I saw tears fall to the floor._

_“Who... Who do you truly want, Tohru?” Kyo asked through clenched teeth. “You know I love you. You know he’s loved you all this time. You have to make a choice..._.” _He never once opened his eyes as the tears fell._

_“Kyo... I... I’m sorry!” I admitted it to him at last._

_“So that’s it then?” he asked. His voice was a low, hallow sound. “After everything we’ve been through? It’s over now?”_

_“I’m sorry....”_

_Then his fists clenched._

_“Fine! I don’t need you! I don’t need any of you!” But rather than running off, he dropped to the floor, holding his head in pain._

_“Kyo!”_

_But then he looked up at me, and I realized what was happening._

_His pupils became narrow slits, and he cried out in pain._

_“Miss Honda,_ move _!” Yuki shouted at me. He jumped at me and threw us against the wall of the hallway as Kyo’s body started to grow and rip through his suit. I looked away, not wanting to see it happen. Yuki pulled me close to him, blocking Kyo’s rage._

_When the transformation was finally complete, I pushed Yuki’s arm away and looked at Kyo._

_He looked at me with those gleaming violet eyes one last time._

_Then he took off and broke through the back window down the hallway._

_“Kyo!” I cried out. I pushed past Yuki and ran down the hallway. “Kyo!” I yelled out the window. But he was already gone._

_I stepped back in horror at what I had done. But I felt something small under my foot._

_I bent down and picked up the bracelet._

  * _End Flashback_



By now, Yuki was holding Tohru in his arms and she sobbed into his shoulder. That was when I noticed she was wearing the bracelet. When she finally got up the courage to speak again, I listened patiently.

“That was the last time any of us ever saw him. After that, I cried for days, locked in my room. I felt so horrible!” She cried into Yuki’s shoulder again, and now I finally understood.

She broke Kyo’s heart. And being that Kyo is the key part of the curse...

It was set loose once again.


	4. Eyes

** Chapter Four: Eyes **

I hastily packed the messenger bag I brought with me.

“Leaving so soon?” I looked up and Shigure was leaning against the frame of the door. I went back to packing.

“Not yet. I have to do some research first. I think I might know where I can find him.” I snuck a glance at him and he looked at me quizzically.

“Like...?”

A thought occurred to me. “Do you happen to know where Kyo’s mother was buried?” Shigure straightened and a look of shock crossed his features for a moment before he corrected himself.

“Actually, I believe I do. More than likely she’d be buried at the family estate’s cemetery. Though, I doubt he’d be there since he’s banned from the Sohma estate.”

“You’ve got a forest surrounding this place right?” I asked, pulling out my journal.

“Yes.”

“Then... he may be closer than you think.” I jotted down the cemetery, and asked, “Where would that be, and what was his mother’s name?”

“It’s about a mile from here, half a mile east of the estate,” he said as I wrote. “Her name was Ren’ai  Sohma.”

“Thanks.” I clapped it shut and slid it into the bag. He eyed me as I finished packing and pulled on my jacket.

“Anything else I can do for you to help?”

“No, but thanks anyway.”

I moved to the door, but he caught my arm. I looked up at the man holding me back. “Thank _you_.” I nodded before he let go.

_..._

It was raining outside. I loved the rain, but Kyo...not so much.

I was about mid-day, and the sky was black with clouds. You couldn’t see right in front of you for very long unless you wanted water in your eyes.

I got to the estate in about twenty minutes. I knew the cemetery was around the back, but when I pulled up to the Sohma residence, I felt eyes on me from all sides. I looked over my shoulder and turned around. There was no one in sight.

When I turned the corner, I saw the cemetery in the distance. It was vast and rather simple in comparison to what I’d been expecting. There was a large temple toward the back, probably for the heads of the family that had passed on.

I squinted my eyes and saw a tall, dark figure way off in the back. I walked past the graves seeing the names all ending in “Sohma.”

“Hello.” The voice was rough but gentle. I squinted through the rain and put my hand over my eyes. I didn’t recognize the man at first. I could only see black hair beneath a wool cap.

“Hello.” We stayed quiet for a few moments as I examined the grave. It read:

“Ren’ai Sohma

Beloved wife and mother.

May you find peace in heaven at last.”

“You aren’t a Sohma.” He commented. It was a statement, not a question.

I nodded. “I’m assuming you are.”

He nodded. “I miss Kyo dearly. He had quite the temper but not as much as I.” The man laughed lightly.

“Believe me... I know.” I looked up at him, now realizing. “You’re Hatsuharu.”

“And you are?”

“I’m Nick. I’m the one from-”

“Akito’s vision, eh? We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” Again, it was a fact. Not in anger, not in disappointment... a simple fact. “Kyo hasn’t visited his mother’s grave once since she passed away.”

I looked back down at the grave in thought. “Have you seen anything in the forest at all?”

He shook he head, softly. “Once I felt a presence as if someone was watching me but nothing more.”

“I felt that as soon as I arrived here today.”

He nodded. Again, we stood in silence for a few minutes. I bowed in her honor and turned to leave.

“What do you plan on doing...?” he asked. I turned to face him again. The rain pounded on our backs hard. He held his eyes open through the rain. “What will you do when you find him?”

_When._

“I’ll give him hope.”

_..._

I started toward the woods. I decided to take the long way back to search. I knew it was a long shot considering, but it was worth a try. For some reason – maybe it was from actually spending a day in the world of fantasy, or maybe it was from hearing his story – I wasn’t afraid of finding Kyo. I was more afraid of not.

Everyone’s lives were in my hands. If the God of the curse were to die, the next God wouldn’t be born right away for fear of the curse taking hold. And without a God in the Zodiac, the ex-animals would all die too.

I walked through the woods with my hands in my pockets. It was eerily silent other than the pounding rain. I didn’t look around frantically searching. I thought maybe it would work better if I let him come to me.

Suddenly, there was a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning. A flock of birds came flying toward me from the right and swept just over my head. I ducked down to avoid getting scraped.

But then I heard the sound of a tree snapping. Before I could blink, the wind was pushed of my lungs. I hit the ground hard _._

I laid there for a few moments, not sure if I wanted to know what had happened. When I opened my eyes, I looked down to my feet. The tree had fallen inches from where I was laying. I looked around me to see if I could find who had saved me.

Then I froze.

Deep, violet eyes stared straight at me through the black of the forest and rain. The eyes were harsh, as if looking for a kill. I didn’t dare to move or take another breath. But in that second, blood dripped into my eye, forcing me to blink.

And then it was gone.

I shook my head and cleared the blood from my eye. I hadn’t even realized I’d hit my head on the way down. It took all the energy I had to stand up, but I managed to make it back to the path.

_..._

“Ugh....” I groaned, collapsing on the front porch, laying face-down.

“Hello?” I heard Yuki’s voice call out from the house and heard the door slide open. “Miss Mente!” He leaned down next to me, and pulled me upright in his arms. “What happened?”

“Someone saved me….” I said, trying to stay conscious. I was exhausted and shaky. I knew I couldn’t make it to my room. What I’d been saying must have sounded like nonsense to Yuki.

“Let’s get you inside.” He picked me up in his arms and carried me into the house. I heard Tohru squeak and start shuffling around with supplies. Yuki set me down on the couch and knelt at my side. “Miss Mente, what happened?” he asked again. “Who saved you? From what?”

“I was in the woods, looking for Kyo….” I trailed off, seeing his expression. “A tree fell and someone pushed me out of the way.” Tohru came into the room and knelt next to Yuki, bandaging my head. I saw Shigure step in and lean against the far wall.

“Must have been someone really fast to save you from a falling tree,” Shigure commented. “You don’t suppose….”

“Kyo….” Tohru and I said. We locked eyes for a moment.

“I have to go back out there.” I said, starting to sit up. My head spun and I almost fell back down. Yuki caught me.

“You need rest first.” Tohru looked about ready to cry before she got up and scurried away.

I looked down at my feet. “Do you miss him?”

I didn’t look up to see his expression, but the long pause told me what he was about to say. “He’s like the brother I never had. As much as this whole thing has put a rift between us, we still love each other…. Or at least, I still care about him.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “Please… rest for now.”

I nodded and laid back down.


	5. Rain

** Chapter Five: Rain **

“What are you doing here?” Yuki said.

I walked down the stairs slowly. I was about to head out again. But when I saw the man talking with Yuki, I paused. He turned to me when the noise of my boot touched the floor.

“Good to see you again, Nick-chan,” Hatsuharu said.

I smiled. “Nice to see you.” I paused for a moment. “How’d you know I-?”

“The vision,” Hatsuharu and Yuki simultaneously replied.

“So then what are you doing here?”

“When I realized you were the girl from the vision, I knew I had to help best I could....” Yuki looked at him, glaring. “And being a freshman in college on summer break... I got a little bored. So I decided I’d like to help.” He smiled at me with small smirk.

I cocked an eyebrow at him before shaking my head. “Yuki,” I asked, “Would you mind if I borrowed your car?”

“Not at all. Do you have a license?” he asked.

Hatsuharu answered for me. “She might be your age, but she doesn’t know Japanese roads. I’ll go with you,” Hatsuharu suggested.

I hesitated.

“Do you know your way around Japan?” he quizzed me.

I sighed. “Fine.” Normally I’d jump at the chance to hang out with Hatsuharu Sohma, one of my favorite characters. But this was different. The curse had changed and I wondered if I could trust him. “Let’s go,” I said, walking to the door.

“Wait,” Yuki called to me. He hurried back into the room, handing me a light rain coat. It was way too big for me, but it was raining again. “It was Kyo’s.... I figured it’s more of your style, and maybe he’ll see it... and wonder....” He trailed off.

“Thanks Yuki.” I gave him a small smile. Haru and I walked out and I got in the passenger seat. He started up the car and we headed down the path I walked along yesterday.

_..._

We’d been driving for about five minutes when I tapped his shoulder. The tree was still on the ground where I was yesterday. He pulled over and we both stepped out.

“Why stop here?” he asked.

“This was where I was nearly crushed yesterday....” I scanned the ground around the tree. “The rain must’ve washed it away.”

“Washed what away?”

“Animal tracks.”

“What kind of animal tracks...?” I saw Hatsuharu’s mind working as he trailed off.

“When I was walking back home, lightning struck the tree next to me and it started to fall. The next thing I knew, I got the wind knocked out of me and I was on the ground next to the tree.”

“You think Kyo saved you.” Hatsuharu stated.

“I can’t be sure yet. I don’t know if it really was him. But… I saw... these huge, violet eyes in the trees right before I got up.”

“I might know somewhere he’d be staying.” he said. “It’s not too far from here, still on the property. Get in the car.”

_..._

We all got out and rang the bell on the porch.

“Go away!” called a voice from inside.

“Can we just have a minute, sir?” I called back.

“No!”

“Kazuma, please!” Hatsuharu called.

“Hatsuharu...?”

“It’s about Kyo! We might have a lead on where he is!”

Slowly, Kazuma Sohma slid the door open. His hair, rather than in a loose ponytail was un-brushed and tangled, and he had clearly not shaven in a few weeks.

“Hello,” I said with a bow. “You can call me Nick. I’m the girl-”

“From the vision.... Come in, come in! You must be cold.” He slid the door shut behind us as we took off our shoes. “Would you like some tea? Come sit around the table.” We sat as he poured the tea. Haru gave me a concerned look.

“Thank you, sir,” I said, taking a small sip. “We came here to ask you a few questions.”

“Yes, yes... go ahead, ask away.” He sat down across from me and poured some for himself.

“Has Kyo ever... visited his mother’s grave...?” I asked slowly. He stopped drinking his tea and set the cup down.

“Once... many years ago. He vowed to visit her again when he was truly happy. That day... hasn’t come yet.”

I jotted down some notes. “When was the last time-?”

“One year ago. The night of the graduation party.”

“And what happened exactly?”

“It was just before he went upstairs and saw Tohru.... He spoke to me.”

  * _Flashback: Kazuma_



_“Dad....” Kyo’s voice was hard to hear over the loud music._

_“Kyo! My boy....” I gripped him into a tight hug. It was unexpected so Kyo stiffened, then relaxed._

_“I spilled some punch on Tohru’s dress....” He looked down._

_“Ah, don’t worry too much. Tohru’s a sweet girl. She forgives you, I’m sure.”_

_“But Dad...” he started. He paused, then whispered, “I don’t.... I don’t feel right tonight.... Something’s wrong.”_

_“What are you talking about? You and I are going to have the best dojo in Japan! And someday, it’ll belong to you!”_

_He looked up at me, smirking. “You mean it?”_

_“Of course I do! Who better to leave it to than you?”_

_His smile started to fade and he stiffened again. “Really though.... Something is wrong....”  He looked around, almost frightened by something._

_“Where did Tohru go?” I asked, trying to change the subject. I just wanted him to be happy on the night of the party._

_“She’s upstairs, cleaning her dress.... Dammit, I’m so stupid! I should help her!”_

_I smiled at him. He still had a lot to learn in the girl department. “It’s alright, go help her now. And Kyo....”_

_“Yeah Dad?”_

_“I’m proud of you.”_

_Kyo gave me a small smile and turned away to go upstairs._

  * _End Flashback_



 “That was the last time I saw him.”

I nodded in sympathy. He tried to do the right thing for Kyo and ended up like this. “I’m truly sorry, sir.”

He sighed. “It’s alright. Kyo will come back. Everything will turn out just fine.” He smiled, but Haru and I looked at each other. “Yes,” he continued, “I am well aware of the return of the curse as well.”

“Thank you,” Hatsuharu said, standing up. I got up too. “We appreciate the help and the fine tea.” We bowed and he bowed back.

“It was a pleasure having company. Stop by any time.”

As we walked out to the car, we pulled our jackets over our heads while the rain poured. It was hard to see, and we ran quickly through the mud.

Then I heard a growl.

I turned and in the blink of an eye, I saw something _huge,_ and _fast_ , sprint through the woods. It was huffing so heavily that I could hear it out there.

“Haru!” I yelled ahead of me. But Hatsuharu couldn’t hear me; the rain was pouring too hard.

I tried to run and catch up, but the ground was muddy and slippery, and after a few seconds of running, I fell into the mud, catching myself on my hands and knees. I felt the ground rumble under the weight of something huge nearby.

I tried to stand up and run to the car. Finally, I squinted and thought I saw Hatsuharu turn around. But the rumbling nearby was getting louder and shook the ground. I closed my eyes, afraid of what would happen.

When I opened my eyes.... I saw the same huge, violet eyes as the day in the woods, staring into mine.

I screamed.

Then I blacked out.


	6. Cave

** Chapter Six: Cave **

I groaned.

Slowly, my eyes started to flutter open. My back felt sore from leaning on something hard. There was a bright light shining from my left and I squinted against it. I rubbed my eyes and looked around.

I was in a small cave. The entrance to the cave was where the bright light was coming from. But when I heard the sound of rushing water, I realized the sun’s rays were being reflected through a waterfall.

In front of me was a small campfire with stones around it. In the back of the cave to my right was a pool of crystal clear water. I looked down and saw that I was lying in a pile of leaves with my back to the wall of the cave. My entire body was caked in mud. I felt my head and my hair was wet from the rain, but when I looked at my hand, there was blood again.

I tried standing up, but slid back down when I did it too fast. I pressed my hand to the wall of the cave and dragged myself up.

I slowly walked to the edge of the cave and looked down. I was standing on a small ledge about 30 feet in the air with only a narrow path that led to the bottom. I knew I wasn’t in any condition to scale that.

I sighed and dragged myself to the back of the cave. I dipped my hands into the cool water and washed the mud off them. Then I pooled some water in my hands and rubbed it into my head. The blood came off rather easily, but it stung.

I took off my muddy jacket and dipped it into the water. I dragged myself back to the pile of leaves and laid my jacket out next to the fire hoping to dry it.

I fell asleep.

_..._

I woke up suddenly when I started to fell shivers along my spine. It was cool out, but not cold. I noticed that there was a fish on the floor of the cave, but I left it, thinking it was only my imagination and my hunger. I didn’t have the slightest idea when I’d eaten last or how long I’d been there.

It was early in the morning, with the sun pouring light into the cave. It must have just risen.

I picked up the fish and put it on a stone beside the campfire, hoping to cook it enough to eat it.

I looked to the back of the cave again and stared at the water.

I slowly but carefully took off my wet jeans and underwear and laid them out next to the fire. I felt my jacket and luckily, it was dry. So I took off my shirt and bra, socks and boots, and laid them out too. I dragged myself to the back of the cave and slid into the water, cringing on the way in. The water was cool on my skin and felt nice for the soreness of my back.

I washed every ounce of blood and mud off my body and out of my hair. It felt good to be clean again.

After the bath, I laid there for a minute wondering how I’d gotten here and how I wasn’t dead yet. But I shook the thought.

I slowly pulled myself out of the water, shivering, and sat by the fire, drying myself off. The fish was cooked, and I ripped off the skin and scales. I ate it like a chicken leg, straight off the bone. But it felt warm in my stomach and it helped ease the now-dull pain on my head.

My clothes weren’t anywhere near dry, so instead, I took my jacket and wrapped it tightly around my body, tucking my legs into it and slept next to the fire.

_..._

That night, I slept straight through. I felt well rested but I was still achy and sore.

When I woke up, I looked around and noticed five more fish on the floor of the cave. Next to me was a brown, wool blanket.

Then I looked to the pile of leaves.

There was a _huge_ indentation made in the middle of the large pile, and that’s when I knew who... or _what_ had been looking out for me.

I crawled over to my clothes and put them back on. They were dry and somewhat warm. They felt good on my chilled skin.

I took another fish and left it by the fire.

I walked over to the blanket and picked it up, studying it. This had to have come from somewhere and now just made from things in the woods. I laid it out on the floor next to the fire, and folded it in half as a bed for myself at night. I laid down on my back on the blanket and finally felt comfortable. I stared at the ceiling of the cave and wondered if there was a plan to all of this... or if someone was looking for me out there.

When I stopped daydreaming, I took the scales and such off the fish and ate it the same way I did before.

That night, I bathed again and sat by the fire until I was dry. By that time, night had just settled in and I put my clothes back on.

I lay down on the blanket again and cooked another fish. I hoped that there would be more in the morning. It was late by now and slowly tried to fall asleep.

_..._

About a week had passed, and I had woken up from a nightmare. But it was a nightmare that was actually a reality. I was still in the cave.

I looked for my usual breakfast, lunch and dinner of fish and saw that there were a few next to me, but there was one already cooking, and I could have sworn I hadn’t put it there last night. I turned to look at the back of the cave....

And there was my answer.


	7. Meeting

** Chapter Seven: Meeting **

Kyo.

The True Form.

Those two thoughts were the only things running through my head. It was him.

He was here… in the True Form.

I tried to sit up and groaned. And when I did, he turned to face me and we locked eyes. His were wide and a deep violet as I’d seen twice before.

He bolted for the exit.

I was knocked over by the sheer power of him running past and slammed into the cave wall. “Wait!” I called out, pushing myself to stand up. I got on two feet and ran for the exit.

I looked down and saw him on a ledge nearby. I was afraid... but I was afraid of losing him, not facing him.

“ _Kyo!”_

He stopped. I was breathing heavily. I wasn’t sure whether he would attack me, run, or what. And we were alone.

“Kyo... please come back.” His long, green ears perked up and I knew he was listening. “I want to help you!”

He didn’t move and his ears went down. I could tell he was listening... maybe thinking about it.

He slowly turned his head, not looking at me. “Please, Kyo. I just want to help you.” He looked up at me and we locked eyes again. I stood there, shaking. I was sure he could sense my nerves. He turned his whole body toward me. “I _will_ help you. I promise.”

He climbed up higher again and followed me slowly back up to the cave. I backed myself against one wall of the cave, opposite the leaves. Once I sat, he came up over the edge. He watched me for a second and then moved toward the bed of leaves. I watched him as he spun and laid down in the leaves. The fire was small and smoking slightly between us. But he kept his eyes on me, and they bore into me.

“You don’t know me,” I started. My voice was a little calmer now but wavered. “I’m Nicolette Mente, but my friends call me Nick....” I trailed off, trying to find the words. “I was summoned to Japan by Akito.... You can probably tell by my American accent. Akito had a vision after you... left, and they sent me because-”

“Stop.”

I stopped.

Kyo had spoken to me through the True Form. His mouth didn’t move but the voice was there in the cave. It was echoed but not by the cave itself. It was by the True Form, and it gave it a demonic sound.

“You can’t help me.”

I thought for a minute about what to say. “If you think you’re so terrible in this form, then why would you help me stay alive in this cave? And why would you take me away in the first place?”

He stuttered. “I... I don’t know. I acted on... some kind of instinct. The monster wanted you. So I took you.”

The thought sent a chill down my spine.

“Once I realized I needed you, a new instinct came over me to kill you. And I didn’t think I could control it. So I stayed away from you... to protect you.” he explained. Kyo was still in there. He wasn’t trapped; he was fighting back the instinct to kill. “I don’t want to hurt you… or anyone else.”

I paused, letting him calm down. “You’re not a monster. It just lives inside of you. You just need a way to fight it.”

“No!” he roared. “It’s a part of me!”

“Kyo,” I said, slowly. Using his name seemed to calm him down. “You’ve been hurt. I want to help you.”

He roared again and stood up. “No! I can’t be helped!”

“Yes! Yes, you can be!” I was shaking sitting there.

“ _I can’t!”_  he roared.

“I _will_ help you!” He just stopped and stared at me. Something I said must have gotten to him.

“I’m hopeless.”

“You’re not.”

Finally, he sighed and sat back down. He looked out the entrance of the cave. “You’re not giving up, are you?”

“I won’t give up on you.”

He sighed.

“I’m going to help you.” I insisted.

“Good luck.” He said, rolling his big violet eyes.

“I will.”

He turned away again. “You really think you can try to help me...? Even though I’m like... this?”

“I’m sure of it.” I offered him a small smile.

“Fine... I guess I’ll try.” I smiled at him.

“And that...is the first step.” He sighed again. “So you’re the one that’s been bringing the fish, huh?”

“Yeah.... I come up here and check on you whenever you sleep.”

“Wait... _every_ time I’ve slept...?” He was quiet. I felt my cheeks flush. I remembered falling asleep under the jacket.

“I didn’t see anything,” he said. I pictured him rubbing the back of his neck in his human form. “I just made sure you were alright.”

“Thanks...” I said slowly.

There was a pause and we just sat there for a few minutes.

“Nick?”

I looked up at him.

“Do you want some fish? I cooked it for you. I figured you’d be hungry.”

“Yeah, thank you.” He crawled closer, to the fire between us. I backed up slightly.

“See? Even you can’t stay near me.” He tended the fire and then ripped the scales right off the fish with a swipe of his claws.

“I’m sorry. I’m not afraid you, I just.... I don’t know how to respond to it, I guess.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’d be afraid too.”

“But I’m not-”

“Sure.”

“I’m _not!”_ I shouted. “I want to help you!”

“That doesn’t mean you’re not afraid.... I’m afraid.” He held out his claws with the fish skewered on one claw. I slowly reached over and pulled it off.

“I’m going to change that,” I insisted. “Nice cooking by the way,” I said, biting a piece off.

“It’s basic. I can’t cook anything other than rice balls.”

“Neither can I,” I said with a laugh. He didn’t even smile. “You’re not gonna eat anything?”

“No,” he said. “I went hunting a few hours ago.” A chill went down my spine but I covered it up. I pitied whatever it was that he got to. “Are you tired?” he asked.

“No, I’m actually feeling a lot better now. Thanks.” I paused. “I wanted to take a bath later, but I don’t have to....”

“No, I’ll leave, it’s-”

“Don’t leave!” I felt a panicked knot in my stomach.

“No, I meant for a few minutes so you can bathe. I’d go fishing or something.”

“Oh... alright.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

I thought for a minute. “I can bring you something other than fish if you want.”

“Oh... yeah, thank you.”

“What do you like?”

“I like anything.”

He sighed. “Gonna try to be as simple as possible to make my life easier, huh?” He leapt out of the cave.

My throat caught.

I realized why he wasn’t smiling. I reminded him of Tohru.


	8. Help

** Chapter Eight: Help **

My eyes fluttered open and I sighed deeply. I was well rested from a long nap for once.

The past few days had been uneventful. I told Kyo a little bit about my life at home, skipping as much as I could. He didn’t open up as much as I would have liked either, but we were getting somewhere at least.

I sat up and looked down at the fire, seeing... _food._

There was bread, peanut butter, a knife and water bottles. There were also a few rice balls cooking on stones next to the fire. I crawled over and immediately starting spreading peanut butter.

“Someone’s hungry.” I turned, my mouth full of peanut butter and bread to see Kyo crawling into the entrance of the cave.

He laughed at me, and my heart leapt. He was getting more comfortable with me.

“Maybe you can live on fish for a long time, but I need some real food....” I made another sandwich and gulped down some water.

“I don’t eat _real_ food anymore.” I paused, spreading the rest of the peanut butter slowly. I stopped and held out the sandwich to Kyo. He shook his head. “The idea of the taste disgusts me now.” I lowered my hand. “Animal-like, I know.”

I looked down at the sandwich. “Maybe... maybe you should try it.” I held it out to him again. His eyes flashed. I could tell he wanted it. But not the sandwich... he wanted to feel human again. “Go on.”

He crawled over to me slowly and reached for it with his claws. I placed the sandwich down and he skewered it on one finger. He put it to his snout, sniffed it, and finally threw the whole thing into his mouth. At first, he winced, trying to adjust to the taste. But then, slowly, he enjoyed it. He grunted cheerfully.

“See?” I asked as I make another. “I think you just need to fall back into the habit of acting human and maybe you can help yourself go in that direction again.” He put his head down and averted his gaze. “Come on, I’m serious. I think if you believe it, you can do it.” I stopped for a second and just watched him sit there, chewing. “You have a strong will. I can see that in you.”

“What makes you so sure?” His voice was a mere whisper, hardly loud enough to hear. It was the quietest I’d heard him spoke since we met.

“Because... I’ve had my fair share of rough times....” I spared him a glance and he was looking at me quizzically. “But when you have friends to help you along, and when you believe in yourself, you can change for the better.”

“That sounds like a load of crap.”

“Well it’s true....” I trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed. I slowly lowered my sandwich.

“You may think you’re helping, but you’re not.” He said, cutting my mind off. “I’m gonna be this... this _monster_ forever.” He groaned in disgust.

“Look,” I started, putting down the sandwich, “I enjoy helping others. It makes me feel better about myself, too. It’s like I’m giving some hope back to the world.” Something felt off. I knew he didn’t mean to offend me. He was just... lost. “I want to make things better for you. But-”

“Well then you suck at it because you’re too blind to realize I’m not a _person!”_  He stood up on all fours and roared but not loud enough to hurt my ears... yet. “Who the _hell_ do you think you are? You can’t fix me!”

“It’s not about _fixing_ , Kyo! It’s about learning to be yourself again! Have a little faith!” I felt myself get louder and regained control before I lost it.

“What _faith?! What FUCKING faith?! HUH?!”_  He roared louder and clenched his eyes shut. “ _LOOK AT ME!”_

My hands and legs shook, but I stood up anyway. “I am looking at you now, Kyo. I’m really looking at you. And what I see is someone strong that’s been through so much, struggling his whole life.”

“ _I DON’T NEED YOU!”_ he roared, inching closer to me. I stood my ground and looked him straight in the eye.

“I want to be there for you. I want you to see that not everyone is horrible.”

_“OH REALLY?! LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO ME! I LOVED HER!_ _I THOUGHT WE HAD SOMETHING!”_

_Loved._ Not _love._

“You do....” I trailed off. I hesitated, but then I took a step closer. “You have me. I want to show you that you can trust me.”

“ _WHY?! ALL I DO IS HURT PEOPLE AND GET HURT BY PEOPLE!”_ He roared louder this time, forcing my hands to press against my ears.

I yelled this time. “ _Because I care about you!”_

_“YOU’RE LYING!”_ Tears streamed down his face and hit the cave floor.

“ _I’m not! I swear to you, I’m NOT!”_ I felt tears well up in my eyes. I forced them back. “ _I want to help you! Don’t you see that?! I care about you!”_

_“BULLSHIT! YOU WERE SENT HERE TO SAVE ME! AND FOR WHAT?! WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE GOING TO FIND HERE?!”_

I took a deep breath and considered my words before I spoke. I thought about reading his story and how he’d grown up. I remembered how he fought against what his family had made him out to be. I remember the way he saved Tohru and how he took care of others. I knew him. I did care about him. “...You.”

Kyo’s eyes narrowed as he stared at me.

He roared again in frustration and slammed himself down on the floor of the cave. The floor shook, knocking me on my back. I groaned a little, but I kept trying to look at him. He continued screaming for a while as I held my ears with my hands, rearing up and slamming to the floor again. I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. The pain... frustration with himself... the thoughts running wild.... All of this came flooding back to me because I knew exactly what it all felt like.

Finally, I stood up as he roared again. “ _KYO, STOP!”_ I ran over to him and clung to his arm. I held on, hoping... wishing... he would calm down. When I had felt all hope was lost, all I needed was a hug. Before the curse was lifted, he couldn’t have that. But here, it didn’t make a difference anymore.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. But suddenly, I was lifted into the air, gripping Kyo’s arm, and shaken around like a ragdoll. He tried to shake me off, as if shaking water off his hands. I just kept holding on.

“ _I WON’T LET YOU GO!”_ I was panicking, but I had to stay calm. _“Kyo, STOP!”_

Finally, after what felt like forever, Kyo stopped shaking his arm. Just then, I felt a huge paw on my back. I let go of his arm and collapsed back into his paw. My head was pounding, and I thought I was going to pass out. But I didn’t; I fought to stay conscious as I started crying.

He set me down on the floor, where I sat on my legs, completely breaking down. I cried in my hands, my body shaking with sobs.

Then, I felt a hot breath move my hair away from my face. I slowly lowered my hands to see Kyo’s face right in front of me.

I stared into his violet eyes as he saw straight through me. My hard demeanor had been completely shattered.

“Nick...?”

I moved my hands away and held his chin in my left hand, petting the top of his head with my right. His smooth skin was soft under my touch. He closed his eyes and I heard his voice... rough but calm.

“I’m... I’m so sor-.” I cut him off by gripping his head a little tighter.

“Don’t.” I didn’t say it was okay for once in my life. We both knew it wasn’t a good sign. But something told me that it wasn’t going to happen again.

For some reason, I trusted him with my life.

I leaned closer, allowing myself to rest my forehead to the top of his head. I felt his skin, smooth and soft, yet cold. It wasn’t hard or scaly like he appeared.

I pulled away slowly, treasuring the calm moment. When I stepped back, we locked eyes for a second before I turned away.

“Nick.”

I looked over my shoulder.

Our eyes connected for what felt like forever. I got lost for a while.

“We should get to bed.” I stated, walking away again. He breathed deeply as I turned.

“Nick...” he called softly.  I didn’t turn around.

“I don’t want an apology. I’m here to help you. I don’t want you to be angry with yourself.” I folded my arms, gripping my elbows for support, not looking back at him.

He breathed deeply again. I gripped my arms tighter, biting my bottom lip. “I want you to know that I truly mean it... even if you won’t let me say it.” I heard him crawl to his corner of the cave.

A tear fell on the floor in front of me.

I was starting to think that I wasn’t the only one helping someone felt hopeful again.


	9. Truth

** Chapter Nine: Truth **

My eyes slowly flutter open. When I fully wake up, I try to sit up and groan in pain. The night before was intense, and I felt like crap.

The day was dark and it rained hard along with the occasional clap of thunder and strike of lightning. I looked over at Kyo who was sleeping, so I slowly pushed myself off the floor and stumbled my way over to the water at the back of the cave. I glanced over at Kyo, still sound asleep. I slowly pulled off my shirt and bra, slipping out of my jeans and underwear and placing them on a rock. I tap the water with my toe and as gently as possible, I lower myself in. I sit on a rock at the bottom and breathe a long, relieved sigh.

I leaned my head back against the edge, closing my eyes.

Suddenly, I heard claws scrambling on the other side of the cave, and my eyes snapped open, and I jumped back in surprise with the realization that Kyo was awake. I looked over, and he was already running out of the cave.

I released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding with a shudder. I quickly came out and wrung out my hair, throwing my clothes back on.

“Kyo?” I called out. “I’m sorry! You can come back now!”

One paw reached the edge of the cave, and he sheepishly crawled back in. If he could blush through the tough skin, he would have been.

I blushed. “Kyo, it’s alright.” I walked back over to the fire, holding my hands out to the flame.

It was uncomfortably quiet for a long moment.

“Can I ask you something?” he looked at me, sincerely.

“Uh... Yeah, sure,” I said, awkwardly rubbing my arm.

“Why do you need to bring hope back to the world?” I stopped cold. “You mentioned something about it.”

I closed my eyes and turned my head.

He paused. “I won’t force you.” He sighed. “I care.”

My heart clenched.

“I care about everyone. I care and I don’t show it.” He said. I looked up at him and he was looking at the floor. “I’m never cared _for_.”

I watched him stare at something that wasn’t there. I walked over to him and touched his paw gently. He looked at me, and I looked back at him. I gently lifted his paw and stroked it in my two hands. “I care.”

His eyes were wide and shook slightly as he watched me.

“Tohru doesn’t.”

I took a breath. “She does. She really cares that you’re gone.”

“I _hate_ Tohru.”

I stopped stroking his paw.

He shook with the rage that I’d seen before. He breathed heavily and violently shaking with the effort to control himself. I stroked his paw again and he slowly shuddered, taking a deep breath. I didn’t want to be the first one to speak though.

“Do you want to know?” I continued to stroke his hand as he looked down at me. “Do you _really_ want to know why I left?”

I looked down and whispered. “I do.”

  * _Flashback: Kyo_



_It was 4:00 and the party was supposed to begin in an hour. The ceremony was beautiful, and Tohru looked stunningly perfect in her mint green gown. She wore an apron over it as she quickly cooked for the evening. Everyone was to be there: all of her friends and the entire Sohma family. She was hastily working on the food._

_“Kyo?” Tohru called gently out of the kitchen. I came running down the hall. “Would you mind helping me with the riceballs?” She giggled. “I can never seem to get them perfect the way you do.”_

_I smiled gently. “Yeah, yeah.”_

_We stood next to each other in comfortable silence for a long time. When I had finished with the riceballs, I stepped closer to Tohru._

_“Tohru....” I whispered her name as soothingly as he could muster. It was enough to make her sigh. He moved behind her and ran his fingertips along her small torso to her waist before kissing her ever-so softly on the neck._

_“Umm-I-... yes? Kyo?” she stammered. She had never had a boyfriend before, never mind a love as strong as this. I knew we were meant to be together, but all the same, I made her a little nervous._

_The house was quiet. Yuki went to the grocery store with Machi, and Shigure was buying party decorations. We were completely alone._

_“I just want to tell you...” I said pausing, twirling a strand of hair in my fingers, “how beautiful you are.”_

_“Oh, Kyo...!” she giggled and her cheeks flushed. “Thank you so much!”_

_“I have to ask you something.” I had said it suddenly, completely serious now. She turned to face me, wonder in her eyes._

_“What’s wrong?”_

_I smiled. “Nothing is wrong, Tohru. But I want to ask you something very serious... very important... for both of us.”_

_She hesitated, looking down for a moment. She cocked her head to the side, her eyes wide._

_I held out a hand to her. “We can touch now,” I said, gently. She smiled and placed her small hand in mine. “We can truly be_ together _.”_

_The girl smiles up at him innocently and buries her face in his chest. “I know! I’m so happy! Kyo... you make me so happy.”_

_He blushes with embarrassment and amusement all at once._

_“Well... what I meant is that we can be together in any way we want to be.”_

_Tohru’s body went ridged, but she didn’t remove her embrace. “Oh....” her voice barely audible._

_Kyo pulled her gently in front of him to look her in the eyes. “Tohru Honda. I love you. I love you more than anything. You’ve made me whole. You gave me a second chance. And I want you to know that. I want to express my deepest love and desire for you.”_

_She stared up at him, still not knowing quite what to say. Since she was young, her mother had always taught her to wait._

_“I know how difficult this decision is,” I whispered, to soften my words... for the words to hold my sincerity. “I love you, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or forced or overwhelmed, but I-”_

_“Kyo...?” Tohru said my name in the form of a question._

_I blinked. “Yeah?”_

_“Does it hurt?” I had to stifle my laughter. I doubled over, holding his ribs. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Did I say something wrong? What did I do?!”_

_“No, no! Tohru, relax.” She stopped flailing around. “It was the most adorable question I’d ever heard.”_

_Tohru blushed. “Oh... is it?”_

_“I promise, I won’t hurt you.” I held my hand out to her again. “This isn’t binding. If you don’t want to at any point, you can tell me.” She stared at my hand before taking it. “But just know that I love you.”_

_She took his hand in hers. “I love you, too.” Her voice was quiet. “I trust you.”_

_The boy smiled, knowing that this was their shining moment together._

_“I trust you, too.”_

  * _End Flashback_



I sat there in silence when he finished the story. I realized that it was his first time, too. I had tears in my eyes.

“Tohru was beautiful.” Kyo sighed, clenching his eyes shut. He spoke through his teeth, “I loved her.”

_But she didn’t love you back...._

We sat there in silence together for a long time. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He poured his heart and soul into her, and she betrayed him. It would have been one thing if she had just kissed Yuki, and it was a misunderstanding. But they were _married_ now _._.. with a _child._

I shook my head and scoffed.

“ _What_?!” he hissed.

“You’re right. Why would you have any desire to revert back to a human when they’re so disgusting?”

“You’re human!” he yelled. “Why would you have any right to say that?!”

“Because I was there, too _Kyo!”_

Kyo stopped cold.

“I know what that feels like.” I took a shuttering breath. “That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m the only one that can save you.”

Now it was his turn to scoff. “You’re not the only one that’s ever been betrayed or lied to. What makes _you_ so special?”

“I don’t know.” I said it quietly. I didn’t know what else to say. “We’re meant to help each other, one way or another,” I said, defiant now. “And I’m here because I’m not giving up on you!”

“ _What makes you think you can help me_?!”

“Why couldn’t I?!”

Kyo narrowed his eyes at me, seven feet off the ground. I just glared back.

“I’m not afraid of you, your problems or what you look like!” I screamed. I couldn’t control myself. “I’m not even bothered by your scent! No one else could stand you! Everyone else was afraid of you in your darkest hour! And here I am, trying to save your sorry ass, you don’t even give a damn!” I grabbed my bag and stuffed the blanket into it, walking to the exit.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“To find my own help.” I walked out of the cave and looked out through the rushing waterfall. I made a motion to jump.

“Don’t go.” I turned and looked up at Kyo, gripping my arm. It hurt, but not enough to cause immense pain.

“Why shouldn’t I?” I yelled again. I couldn’t help it. The tears were ready to fall.

“Because....”

“ _Why?”_ The tears started to roll down my cheeks. “ _WHY CAN’T I GO?”_

He looked down. I couldn’t stand how he kept his cool when I had fought to keep mine the entire time I was with him, only breaking to prove a point once in awhile. And now the tables had turned.

He just looked at me. He _really_ looked at me. I was still crying, trying to pull my arm away. “You can’t go because I care about you too!”

I couldn’t believe it. After all this time that he had fought back, saying he wasn’t capable of being human again, he told me he cared. “ _LET ME GO!”_

My hand slipped free from his grasp at last when I used all the force I could muster.

I fell.

I knew I would die. I was falling backwards, screaming, into the waterfall. The water swallowed me whole, and the air left my lungs.

I hit the bottom of the pool below, and cried out, letting the water start to fill my lungs.

My eyes clenched shut. I knew this was the end of me.

But then I broke the surface. I choked on the water and coughed it up, feeling myself being pulled away from the water. I flopped on the side of the pond, taking shallow, raspy breaths.

Then I opened my eyes.

“ _Nick...._ ” It was Kyo’s voice, shaking.

“ _Kyo...._ ”

That was the true meaning of the Curse of the Cat.

He had to be the savior... not the saved.

He was holding me, close with his orange hair was sopping wet as I looked up into his fire-red eyes. There was sincerity in them that the tears falling on his face, mixed with the rain, spoke the words he couldn’t find.

His bare arms were warm around my small frame, and his torso glowed in the darkness of the storm.

He saved me.

Thunder clashed in the sky with a strike of lightning.

“I love you.” he breathed.  “That’s why.”

Without a second thought, I pulled his head closer and kissed him, hard. Like his personality, the kiss was rough yet gentle, and sent shivers down my spine. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me on top of him.

“I’ll never leave you. I promise.” I said, my lips on his. “I love you too.”


	10. Return

** Chapter Ten: Return **

Once we got back to the cave, we dried off in the warmth of the campfire. I hadn’t stopped smiling since we kissed. One part of the quest was over. I had broken the curse… with the added bonus of falling in love. All I had left was to convince him to come home.

“You’re shivering.” Kyo said quietly. He wasn’t prodding in any way, just concerned.

“Yeah, well, I guess being soaked to the bone would do that to you, right?”

“I don’t have any clothes for you….” he said, trailing off. Luckily, the ripped pants from the night of the graduation were still tattered but mostly in tact on him.

“It’s alright. I mean, we’ll probably go back soon anyway,” I said.

“What?” Kyo sounded shocked, almost scared. I looked up at him.

“Don’t you want to go back?” I asked. I felt like I already knew the answer.

“I don’t think I can.” He looked down. “I can’t go back to living there. How am I going to face Tohru and Yuki? How am I going to face the family? I should be ashamed of myself.”

“What? Why?” I crawled over to him. “Kyo, they miss you. They want you to come home.”

“But now I’m with you. What do I tell Tohru?”

A thousand emotions hit me at once. I took a deep breath and realized he hadn’t been home in over a year. He didn’t know what had happened to them or anyone else.

“Kyo…. You’ve been gone for a long time….” I explained slowly. I didn’t know how tell him what had happened in the year he was gone.

“Is she alright?” he asked suddenly. My chest tightened. “Nothing happened to her, right?”

I shook my head. “No, she’s okay.” I knew he would still care about her, but I was afraid of how he’d feel with the situation now.

“Then what is it?” he probed.

I took his hand in mine. “Kyo…. Tohru is married.” He squeezed my hand a little tighter. I could tell he was angry, but it was only going to get worse as I told him the truth. “She’s married to Yuki. And….” I trailed off, not sure how to make this part gentle.

“And…?”

“They have a daughter.”

He let go of my hand. He stood up and started to pace along the wall of the cave. He ran his hand through his hair and breathed heavily. I couldn’t help but admire his figure as a watched him. But I shook the thought sighed.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he yelled. “I’m gone for a year, and she gets married and has a daughter?!”

I looked at the ground. “There’s something you should know about her.”

He glared at me. But I knew it was aimed more at Tohru. “What _else_ could possibly be important?”

“Well…. I guess there’s two things you should know….” He sucked in a deep breath. “I’ve been raising her since she was… _really young_.” I didn’t want to say the word he wouldn’t understand. “And she’s the next cat.”

He dropped to his hands and knees, and he let out an agonized scream. He put his face in his hands. I stood slowly and walked over to kneel next to him. I put my hands on his shoulders.

“The curse…. It can’t be back…. It’s all my fault….” He let out gasping sobs between sentences. I crawled in front of him and pulled him into my shoulder. I rubbed his back, and we sat there for a long time.

Finally, his breathing regulated. I pulled back and kissed him on the head. “Kyo, this is not your fault.”

“If I had just kept on the stupid bracelet…. If I had just not lost my temper with her…..”

“No. This isn’t your fault.” I insisted. “Look at me.”

He picked up his head, his eyes bruised from crying. “What do I do?”

I sighed. “This isn’t your fault. But you have to go back with me.” I touched my hand to his cheek. “I’ll be with you.”

“If that’s what you think will fix this….” He cupped his hand over mine. “Thank you….” He shook his head. “There’s so much I want to thank you for.”

“Kyo….” I gave him a gentle smile. “Loving me is enough.”

He cupped my face in his hands now, and leaned in to kiss me. He breathed a raspy breath into my face. “Then we’ll do this together.” He kissed me.

_..._

We stayed silent on the way through the woods, and I had told Kyo that he needed some new clothes and a shower before we went back. When I suggested it he seemed relieved.

I bought him some new clothes…. I went a little out of my way since I wanted to treat him. We bought some shower supplies and got day passed to the local gym just to shower. It had been a few weeks since I’d experienced soap too, and I had bought some clothes for myself as well. When we were all said and done, you couldn’t even tell we had been living in the middle of nowhere for over a month.

We walked back, taking our time. As we got closer, he laced his fingers through mine as he held my hand. I squeezed his hand, reassuring him and being a little nervous to go back myself.

When we could see the house ahead, Kyo stopped walking. I turned to face him and looked into his eyes. “Breathe…. We can do this… together.” He nodded and took a deep breath.

We walked up the steps of the porch, and I lightly knocked on the door. I slid it open.

“Hello…?” We stepped inside slowly. I had to slightly pull on Kyo’s arm to walk him in.

“Nick?” I heard Tohru call. Kyo tensed and stopped moving. She walked into the room and stopped. Tohru locked eyes with Kyo and stopped breathing.

“We’re home,” I said, smiling. I hoped to ease the tension….

But then Tohru ran over faster than I could have thought she could run, and she gripped Kyo in a tight hug, forcing my hand to let go.

But Kyo didn’t hug her back.

“Kyo….” She sobbed into his arms. “I’m sorry…. I’m so sorry….”

Finally, he pulled away from her and gripped her arms. I watched from the side, not even attempting to predict what would happen next.

“I don’t want an apology. I don’t want an explanation. I just want to move on.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Tohru looked down and got control of her breathing. She nodded vigorously after a moment of thought. She looked up at him, smiling. She had tears streaming down her cheeks. I envied for a moment how beautiful she looked, even while crying. “I do too.”

Kyo smiled at me, gently. I smiled back.

Just then, Yuki strode into the room. Immediately, he locked eyes with Kyo. “Miss Sohma, move,” he said as he picked up his pace toward Kyo. My eyes widened, and I knew Yuki was ready to blow his top. Tohru yelled for him to stop, but he walked straight up to Kyo and –

He hugged him.

Kyo was shocked at first but then raised his arms to hug him back. “I’ve missed you, you stupid cat.”

“You too, damn rat.”

I covered my mouth to stifle my laughter as Tohru squealed with joy at this.

They separated and Kyo commented, “Bet I can still kick your ass, though.”

“You can try any time,” Yuki replied coolly. I was just glad things had at least gone a little back to normal.

“Tohru,” I said, suddenly a little nervous. She turned to me. “Where’s Kiara?”

Tohru’s eyes widen, realizing the same thing I had. If the curse was lifted, Kiara would be…. “Kiara!” we both called upstairs. All four of us ran to the stairs and nearly fell trying to get up. When we got to my room….

There on the floor, curled in a ball was Kiara.

But she was still a cat.

“Wh… Why…?” Tohru asked. She could barely form the word.

“Shouldn’t she be human again?” Kyo asked, looking to Yuki. “The curse is lifted now.” Kyo held up his arm. Yuki and Tohru finally noticed that he didn’t need the bracelet at all anymore. Tohru was still wearing it.

Yuki hummed, stroking his chin. “I think perhaps we would find our answers at the Sohma estate.” Kyo and I looked at each other.

“Only one way to find out,” I said.


	11. Destiny

** Chapter Eleven: Destiny **

Together, the six of us – Shigure and Kiara came too – drove to the estate together. Shigure had held Kiara in the car, and pet her the entire ride. We hadn’t told her where we were going, but she generally hated the car. He seemed to keep her calm, and he told us how he’d baby…well, kitten-sat for her when Tohru and Yuki were at school or working. It made me happy that she had bonded with her cousin so well.

When we arrived, we were greated by Kureno, and my heart sank. I wondered what had happened to his relationship with Uo.

We went into the largest house in the back and were led down a long hallway. Kureno knocked on the door gently. “Akito-sama…. They’re here.”

“Please…. Allow them to enter.”

Kureno slid open the door.

The room was vast, with the doors to the outside wooden patio open. Rather than sitting at the chair at the back of the room, Akito was sitting lotus style in the doorway. Her head was tilted up slightly. “The sun… is a wonderful thing.” She turned to face us. “Wouldn’t you agree, Nick.” She smiled at me. Her hair was surprisingly much longer than I had expected, and her figure seemed to have changed from the way she was once portrayed; she finally looked like a woman her age.

“It is,” I said, bowing slightly. “The sun gives the world… hope.”

“Indeed,” she agreed, standing up. She walked over to me and lifted my chin with her hand, gently. I felt Kyo’s grip on my hand tighten. “You are exactly as I had predicted.”

I swallowed. “Hmm?” I mused.

“Your eyes reveal a lot about you, Miss Mente. They reveal your _truest_ intentions.”

I was confused as to what she meant, but she gently lowered my chin and then leaned in close so only I could hear her. “Well done.” My breath caught.

She pulled away and walked over to the chair at the back of the room. “I want to thank you all for coming. Please… sit,” she said, gesturing to the floor in front of her.

Yuki walked up next to me at the front of the group. “Akito-sama. Please…. Why is our daughter not human again?”

Akito laughed, whole-heartedly and Kyo’s grip tightened further on my hand.

“Does it really matter to you, Yuki?”

Yuki seemed to almost radiate with rage, yet he somehow kept his composure. “Don’t do this to me. Answer the question.”

“I’m just asking you a simple question…. Why does it matter to you?”

“ _Kiara… is my daughter._ ” He was nearly shaking now. I put my free hand on his shoulder. He tensed at my touch but then took a deep breath. He spared me a glance as if to say “Thank you.”

Akito laughed again, louder and for a longer time then.

My head was spinning.

“She’s not Yuki’s daughter….” I said quietly. I finally realized

Yuki heard me. He pushed my hand off his shoulder. “Miss Mente, what are you talking about? Of course she is.”

“Smart girl you’ve got there, Kyo-kun.” Kyo’s head snapped up to where Akito was standing. “She finally put it together.”

“What are you talking about?!” Kyo yelled.

“Miss Mente here is correct.” She stepped down from the chair and walked up to Kyo who was gritting his teeth. She studied him for a moment. “Kiara… is _your_ daughter.”

The room fell silent. Akito wasn’t laughing. Kyo and Yuki were both frozen, staring at the ground. I looked behind me to see Tohru with her hands over her mouth. Shigure was holding Kiara in one hand and rubbing Tohru’s back with the other.

Finally, Yuki turned to Tohru. I was surprised he turned to her rather than Kyo, as I was thankful to be standing between them. “Is it true? The night of graduation….” His voice faded. The tears streaming down her face told him everything.

“How is that even _possible_?” Kyo said, speaking up. “Weren’t you two married right after that?”

Yuki nodded slowly. “It was only a few weeks later. Tohru was devastated you were gone. She came to me… in a moment of weakness, I suppose.” He closed his eyes tightly shut, turning away from her again. He took a shaky breath. “Kyo…. I don’t even know what to say.”

Words failed Kyo as his expression fell to the floor. “I’m sorry,” he said finally.

“Kyo…. Don’t apologize. We both know that we put her through a lot… making her decide.”

“No!” Kyo shouted now. “Enough! Enough about the stupid girl!” Tohru jumped at his screaming and cried harder. “It’s always about her! It always _has_ been!” He took a breath again. “I’m sorry…. I’m sorry, _Yuki_. I wish she hadn’t put such a strain on our relationship.”

There was stunned silence for what felt like years. Finally, Yuki stepped toward Kyo and I backed out of the way. He put his hands on Kyo’s shoulders. “You’re right…. I’m sorry too. I’m especially sorry… because you were what she wanted. I was just what was left for her. I never meant to do that to you. I wanted an honest relationship with her… not this.”

Kyo nodded as Tohru finally cried out. We all turned to her now. “No!” She was shaking, tears falling to the floor. Shigure had his hand on his shoulder, trying his best to steady her while holding Kiara. “I love both of you…. I know that now….” she said between sobs. My chest tightened at her words. “But I fell for Yuki not because Kyo was gone. It was because he had always been there for me… at school… when I needed a home… when I was sick… when my mom’s picture… was lost in the rocks of the storm….” She sobbed hard then. She steadied herself finally and looked right at Yuki. “You’re the one I love…. The _only_ one I’m meant to be with….”

Kyo smiled at Yuki, but he didn’t see it. He walked right to Tohru and pulled her into his chest. He kissed the top of her head. “It’s alright…. I’m here.” he said as she sobbed into his chest.

I looked up to Kyo now who was still smiling. In any other world, I would have imagined that he would have been broken. But then, he had just discovered he had a daughter. Then he looked down at me, and his smiled faded.

“Listen… Kyo….” I started. “I know she’s your daughter with Tohru…. I’m okay with that…. It’s just that…. I don’t know what will happen to us now.”

Kyo was about to answer when Akito cut in. “Isn’t the answer rather obvious, Miss Mente? You are the rather smart one here.”

I turned to Akito, and her eyes seemed to glow in the sun. The entire back of the room was lit up by the sunset. She was beaming at me. That was when I finally saw why they looked at her like a god. She was something that drew you in no matter how much she confused you. I felt the urge to want to hug her… to befriend her.

“We have to stay together.” I said. I turned to the whole group now and took Kyo’s hand again. “For Kiara.” Everyone seemed to exchange glances and finally, we were all smiling at each other. It was then that I knew the tension between us all was lifted.

Tohru spoke up again. “But… What about Kiara? Will she become human again?”

We all turned back to Akito. “That answer, I do not know. I thought that by bringing back the girl’s father, the curse would be lifted from our family.” Akito gestured for Shigure to bring Kiara forward. He stepped up and Kyo, Yuki and I took a step backward. Yuki put his arm around Tohru’s shoulders and she leaned into him. Kyo took my hand again and stroked it with the opposite hand. “Hello beautiful,” she said, scratching under Kiara chin. I could hear her purring from here. I tensed as Akito continued to pet her, and I slowly felt Kyo get more protective of her.

Akito finally stopped petting her, and she backed up and sat on the chair again. Kureno stepped forward from the corner of the room to stand next to Akito. I hadn’t even remembered he was there.

“Akito is tired now…. You should all leave.” Kureno told us.

“What?” Kyo said, stepping forward again. “That’s it? There’s nothing you can do for her?” Akito sighed and looked to the ground. Kyo took it as mocking him. “She’s my daughter!”

Kureno seemed to want to say something, but Akito put a hand on his arm. “Miss Mente…. I would like you to know…. Things _will_ fall into place. Just have patience… for you… and for Kyo.”

I nodded.

We left.

_..._

Back at home, we all sat around the table, trying to figure out what to do. Kiara was still a cat, I had college to attend back in the United States, and there was now the issue of where Kiara would go.

“I think I might have an answer,” I said, speaking up.

We had already discussed the possibility of just myself and Kyo moving back to the United States so that I could go to school there, and we would give Yuki and Tohru time with Kiara. But uprooting Kyo and then leaving Kiara behind didn’t sit right with me, and everyone turned to me when Shigure had suggested that plan.

Everyone turned to me, and I put my hands out on the table. “I think we’re missing a really simple solution here. What if I just went to school here? That way, I could stay with Kiara… and Kyo,” I said, looking to him. His eyes were wide.

“That’s ridiculous! You’d leave your whole life behind!” Kyo said suddenly.

“It’s really not,” I said. “I’d be leaving for college soon anyway. All we’d have to do is get me accepted here somewhere… or I could do study abroad my first semester….” I tried to think of an easy solution.

“I don’t think it would be too hard for you to go to school with us,” Yuki proposed. “Our family has already made some considerable donations to waive Mrs. Sohma’s tuition.” I hadn’t realized Tohru really had come from nothing. She didn’t have a penny to her name, but I was sure Yuki got in from being number one in his class.

Kyo turned to me. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

I nodded. “I don’t have much to lose. Heck, maybe even my mom will move out here if I tell her I’m going to school here.” Everyone paused, thinking if that would actually work. Then I added, “I want to make sure Kiara is turned back to human.”

Tohru looked down. “She never was human. She wouldn’t know what it’s like.”

I shook the image that immediately popped into my head. “She is meant to be human, and I’ll see to it that she will be.”

“Then I think it’s best we all start making some phone calls….” Shigure said finally.

I took Kyo’s hand and smiled.

_…_

“Nick….”

I was laying on my bed… actually, Kyo’s bed when I heard him call me from the doorway. I sat up and smiled.

Yuki had made the arrangements for me to go to school in Japan. I had already called my mom, and it was a pretty tearful phone call. She had told me that she would come to visit a week before school started, and that she would bring my stuff with her. She told me how my grandparents needed her in the United States, but that she would take them to visit me eventually.

Following that conversation, I was exhausted. That night, Kyo had slept next to me, holding me as we fell asleep. The next few weeks, Tohru and I had went shopping, clearing the air between us. Yuki and I had gone out to eat a few times so we could give Tohru and Kyo time with Kiara. Kyo and I had gone out on a few dates while also getting myself some things until my mom brought my stuff from home.

Kiara was curled up on my stomach and when I sat up, she stretched and meowed, sitting next to me.

Kyo stepped into the room and the light from the sun poured into my window and bathed him in it. His hair was the same brilliant orange as Kiara’s fur, and his eyes were glowing. He came over to the bed and set on the edge next to me, petting Kiara.

“How are you doing?” he asked quietly. “You’ve had to deal with a lot lately.”

I sighed. “Yeah…. I mean, finding out that not only does your boyfriend have a daughter with someone else feel weird, but moving to another country on top of starting college soon is really something to get a grip on.” I laughed lightly and shook my head.

“I told you this when you made the decision, Nick,” he said, not laughing. He got off the bed and took my hands in his. “You can back out at any time.”

I shook my head again. “Kyo…. I love you. And I love my little girl.” I said, nodding to Kiara. “I’m not backing out of anything.”

Kyo took a deep breath and knelt to the ground. I scrunched my eyebrows and sat up straighter.

“I need to tell you something,” he said, scratching at the back of his head with one hand, still holding my hands in the other. He was looking away again. Then took another deep breath and looked right at me. “I don’t know how to say this…. And I don’t want to upset you…. I know you’re going through a lot….”

I felt my body go rigid. A million thoughts were running through my head of what he could possibly reveal to me now. I had already thought I’d heard everything I could take.

But then, he reached into his back pocket and held something in his closed hand.

That was when I realized he was on one knee.

“Nick…. Nicolette Mente…. You… you’ve given me hope. More than that…. You’ve shown me how to love myself. You helped me overcome my anger and sadness after all these years of running away. You mean everything to me.” Finally, he opened his hand and held it up to me.

The ring was small, a perfect size for my petite hand. It was simple and silver. The band had ridges along the outside… almost resembling beads. The diamond at the top was shaped like a heart with two small rectangular studs locking the heart in place.

“I love you….” he said, his voice shaking slightly. The tears were welling up in his eyes.

“Yes!” I gasped. The tears were already streaming down my face as I slid off the bed and into his arms. I kissed him with everything I had felt this summer. Every emotion I needed to show came to surface in that kiss.

Finally, we pulled apart, and he took my small hand in his calloused, much larger one. With the other hand, he slid the ring onto my finger.

“I love you too.”


	12. Epilogue: Time

** Epilogue: Time **

_*Five years later*_

It had been a long day at work. Luckily though, I always had the dojo to blow off some steam.

Kyo was driving us home from the dojo. He was now the primary Sensei and Kazuma worked mostly behind the desk. Even I taught some beginner classes every once in a while.

When we got out of the car, Kiara ran up to us. “Mama! Papa!” she called. She had long, flowing orange hair with big brown eyes. She was pale compared to Kyo, and she was now six years old.

“Come get me!” Kyo called to her. He got into a mock-fighting stance, and she did the same, using what he’d taught her about fighting. When she threw a punch with her tiny fist, he caught her wrist gently and threw her over his shoulder.

“No fair! Put me down!” she protested.

“Oh, calm yourself,” he said with a smug look on his face. He turned back to me.

“You know, beating a six-year-old isn’t really an amazing feat for a Sensei.” I said with a cocked eyebrow.

“Oh, let me have some fun with her.” he said, finally setting her down. She stopped flailing when she touched the ground and ran up to hug his leg. Kyo was much taller now and he towered over her.

She pulled away from her father and looked behind him, finally noticing I was standing there. Her eyes widened and she ran to me and jumped into my arms. “Mama!”

“How was school today, love?”

“I learned how to write my name and your name and Papa’s name and Tohru’s name and Yuki’s names!” she exclaimed.

“That’s amazing sweetheart,” I said. “I’m so proud of you.” I put her down and kissed her on the forehead, smiling at her.

She took Kyo and I by the hand. “I want to show you the picture I drew!” she said, pulling us toward the house. Kyo flashed me a smile and I felt warm… _whole._

I couldn’t be happier.

In short, we stuck to the plan. All of us finished school together in Japan. I moved into the Sohma house with the others, and Kiara stayed with us.

The summer after our graduation, Kyo and I officially married. It was that night after the ceremony was over and we put Kiara in her cat bed on the floor next to us that she transformed into a human for the first time. That was just four months ago now.

When she became human, she was already six years old and had the capacity to speak, despite not having practice. Putting our honeymoon to the United States on hold, all of us took Kiara to Akito where she blessed her and said that she didn’t have a trace of the curse on her. And luckily, it was just in time too; Hatsuharu and Rin were back together and Rin was very pregnant at our wedding.

When Akito was hugging our little Kiara, we locked eyes. For the first time since meeting her, she smiled at me… and it was genuine. Since then, Akito and I have gotten to know each other really well. And at last, she isn’t so sick anymore as to not go out into the world and even travel on her own.

From that point, everything seemed to fall into place for everyone around us. Hanajima and Shigure were back together, and she moved in with us. Kureno left Akito once and for all and married Uo when we were still in our second year. Hatsuharu and Rin were already married in our first year.

As Kiara led us inside, we kicked off our shoes and Kyo took off his Gi, leaving just his pants on. I was in a dress shirt and pants and I kicked off my shoes.

Once in the kitchen, we saw Yuki and Tohru making dinner together.

“Hi there!” Tohru beamed, turning around carefully. Her very pregnant stomach was bulging so much it looked as though she was ready to pop.

I breathed in the air. “Smells great. What are you making?”

“Oh, it’s just some chicken soup is all.” she said.

“But it’s _your_ chicken soup,” Yuki added. He poked her belly and she jumped a little at the tickle. “I’m sure he’ll love it too.”

“Mama!” Kiara said again. Frustration was etched on her face.

“I’m sorry honey, what did you want to show me?” I said, kneeling on the floor. She scurried over to the refrigerator and pulled something off the door. She handed it to me.

“Oh!” Tohru said as if remembering. “You’ll love what Kiara drew at school today!”

I looked down at the picture. There were stick figures colored in with crayons of all of us. The part that really got me was that we were all holding hands. But more importantly, Kiara was between Tohru and I, as if she understood the truth.

I looked up at Kiara. “This is beautiful, honey. It’s the best picture ever.”

She beamed at me and gasped. “Really?!”

“Really.” I said. She jumped at me and hugged me.

When Kiara had turned human again, we explained to her that she had two sets of parents, including Yuki in it because he thought all along that she was his daughter. But because I raised her, and she looked just like Kyo, she called us Mama and Papa. Kyo was the one that played with her the most; he taught her everything about ninjutsu, played games with her and tickled her whenever possible. Since I raised her, I knew she would look to me as her mom, and Tohru had no problem with it at all. She had said it was only fair that I was her adopted mother, and that was when Tohru and I had finally clicked.

Every night before bed, I would read stories to Kiara and when I was with her on the weekends, we would play all sorts of games she made up like house, tea party, and all the other games she thought of. Most of the time, Kyo would join in but every so often, he would turn it into a sparring match with her.

You could say that our family is a little dysfunctional. You can say that it’s not right to wait until Kiara is older to tell her the truth of what happened to our family and who her biological parents are. But the thing is… we just want to protect her from all of that… at least until she’s older.

But the one thing no one can say about our family is that there is no love.

That’s what keeps us together. In any other situation, a family like ours may have fallen apart and hated each other for everything that had gone on. But the truth was and always will be….

That love conquers all.

**[Author’s note]: Thank you so much to everyone that followed this story through to the end. I’m so glad to have finally finished it and gave them a happy ending. Don’t hate me but I actually ship Kyo and Tohru so hard. This was just one of those fantasy stories I had to get out of my head! Go figure!**

**I hope you all enjoyed the ride, and thank you for reading!**

**-Nikaya**


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